Alone in the Dark
by Sirithiliel
Summary: Ryou gets in a bad car accident. What will happen to Bakura? How can he live when he and Ryou had actually begun to get on friendly terms, only to have it ripped away? Not related to any of my other stories. Dark.


Disclaimer: Nothing that resembles another's work is mine. This is just for fun.

DEATH! A bit dark............

/......../ Ryou's thinking

(...........) Bakura's thinking

Summary: Ryou gets in a bad car accident. What will happen to Bakura? How can he live when he and Ryou had actually begun to get on friendly terms, only to have it ripped away? Not related to any of my other stories. Dark.

Alone In The Dark

The phone rang.

Yami Bakura growled in annoyance, waking up from a peaceful nap and stalking over to the phone.

"WHAT?" He snapped.

"Bakura?" A voice said hesitantly, sounding oddly choked and hoarse.

It was the Pharaoh.

"What do you want?" Bakura gritted out. He was not in the mood for any threats or insults today.

"It's about Ryou." Yami said, and Bakura could hear the slight hitch in the ex-pharaoh's voice.

A sudden cold pierced Bakura.

"Ryou? What about him?" He whispered. Wait! He'll try the mind-link.

(Ryou?) He called out.

No answer.

Yami was muttering into the phone, trying to get his point across that he was terribly sorry about something.

Sorry about what?

Why wasn't Ryou answering?

(RYOU!) Bakura howled, sensing a great emptiness.

"Bakura, Ryou is hurt. Real bad. He got in an accident on his way home from school. A drunk driver hit him. He's at the hospital........Bakura, I'm sorry." Yami said, sounding sincere.

Bakura stared at the phone in shock and a sudden creeping horror.

"Ryou?" He whispered, physically as well as mentally.

"Bakura..........I am sorry. Please, you have to go see him He's asking for you." Yami pressed, and fidgeted when Bakura didn't immediately respond.

"Yami........how did you find out? Where are you?" Bakura choked out, unshed tears brimming in his reddish eyes.

"We are the immediate contacts if Ryou gets hurt. His father being gone a lot, and all. We rushed to the hospital as soon as we could. I'm calling from a phone there. The doctors think you're Ryou's 'brother', and are expecting you. Please hurry, Ryou keeps calling for you but can't reach you!" Yami sobbed, sniffing slightly. This was hurting him.

"I'll be right there." Bakura whispered, a tear escaping his best efforts not to let it.

Yami hung up and Bakura took off, locking up the door and running as fast as he could.

Calling upon his innate Shadow Powers, he sped up his speed until the passerby and normal pedestrians saw only a swift moving blur of the white and blue stripes on his shirt and his blazing white hair.

Bakura used the Ring to find out where the hospital was, and took off down the correct street.

He reached the large building with wide windows minutes after Yami had called. He burst through the swinging doors and slid up to the desk.

"Ryou? Hit by a car......... I'm his brother!" Bakura gasped out, breathing hard and tears leaking slightly.

"Oh, yes, you poor dear. Room 128, critical care." The secretary person said sadly, looking at Bakura with immense pity and sympathy. That did not bode well.

Bakura ran to the elevator, seeing the little labels. Room 128 was on the third floor.

Running in, he pressed the button with the number three on it and watched as the doors closed. He prayed to whatever god was listening to not let him be to late. To let Ryou live. He didn't want to be alone in the darkness again...........

The doors opened and he ran out, seeing a door with the numbers 113 on it. He was near. He spun around a corner, and ran into someone.

"Yami B.!" Joey yelled in surprise, staggering back. Bakura was wild haired from his mad run and red eyes glittering with tears and such horror.........

"Where is he?" Bakura snarled, eyes darting around. Joey had a tray with coffee cups on it. He had evidently been getting refreshments for the group.

"Come on, I'll take you to him. He's in pretty bad shape, ya know?" Joey said, walking quickly back the way he had come and entering the door with the numbers 128 on it.

"Bakura!" Yami stood up from the chair next to Ryou's bed. Joey placed the drinks on a counter, and averted his gaze from the sad sight of the Evil Spirit of the Ring staring in such mental agony as he watched Ryou's weak breathing, tears running unchecked down his cheeks.

He stumbled over to Ryou, sitting in the chair that Yami had quickly vacated.

Tristan, Joey, Yami, Yugi, Tea, Mai, Serenity, and Duke were standing around, a bit embarrassed at the sight of one they had considered an enemy until recently so broken.

Ryou and Bakura had just starting begun getting along, Bakura even going with Ryou when the hikari went to Yugi's house or out with his friends. Now, three weeks of bliss came to a sudden and horrible end.

Ryou's wounds were fatal.

He was going to die.

Bakura seemed to sense this, watching Ryou's shuddering breaths and the bloodstained bandages around his torso and head, hearing the weak blips of the heart monitor. The smell of blood and medicine were strong in his keen senses.

"Bakura.......I'm sorry." Tea whispered. She had had a great grudge against the spirit, even after he stopped being mean to Ryou. Now, he was broken.

Everyone else agreed softly, adding their sentiments.

This seemed to break Bakura's last resolve. He broke into tears, grabbing Ryou's hand and clutching it as he broke down on the pristine white sheets.

Yugi and co. left the room to give the two some privacy.

".......Bakura?......."

Bakura looked up through blurry eyes as Ryou weakly opened his own.

Teary red met glazed brown.

"Oh, Ryou." Bakura whispered, squeezing his hand.

".......sorry......." Ryou whispered back.

"For what, hikari?" Bakura asked, near tears again.

"........I wasn't.....watching where.....I was going.......the car....." Ryou muttered, unconsciously scooting nearer to his yami's comforting presence.

A presence he used to find terrifying, but not anymore.

"Oh, Ryou. It's not your fault." Bakura said brokenly.

"What.........will happen......to you....when I.....die?" Ryou said softly, looking at his yami with teary eyes as well.

"You're not going to die." Bakura said firmly, as if he could make himself believe it if he said it aloud.

"Bakura.....I know....how badly hurt........I am." Ryou admonished. "Now.......answer......my question......please?"

"When........IF......you die, I will be sealed into the Ring again." Bakura whispered, fear evident in his voice.

".......and you are........afraid of that most of all........" Ryou stated.

Bakura shook his head.

"No. I'm afraid of that, yes, but what I'm afraid of most of all is that I'm losing you, and we had only just begun to get along......." Bakura felt another tear slide down and he irritably rubbed it away.

".......I'm sorry....again........Yami?" Ryou asked.

"Yes?"

"Can you.... call my friends back in? I'm........feeling kind of sleepy. Want to see them........again before........I take a nap." Ryou whispered, a tear streaking his cheek to match those on his yami's.

"Sure, Ryou." Bakura went stood and went to the door.

"He wants you guys back in." Bakura said, and turned to retake his seat next to Ryou.

The others crowded close. They were tear streaked and grief stricken, but loyal to their friend, to be with him in his time of need.

They chatted with Ryou with forced calm, pretending that they will see him after he wakes up from his "nap."

After they said what needed to be said, Tea broke down and left the room, Mai going to go comfort her.

Serenity had Joey, Tristan, and Duke trying to stop her heartbreaking sobs.

Yami and Yugi were standing close enough to touch.

A sudden knock on the door distracted them.

"Come." Bakura barked harshly.

"Bakura?" two pairs of lavender eyes blinked at him.

"Malik? Marik?" Bakura whispered, tears rising unbidden to his eyes again. Malik and Marik had always been nice to Ryou.......but he had not expected them to come.

"How did you know what was going on?" Yami asked.

Malik pointed behind them.

In walked Seto Kaiba and his little brother Mokuba.

"Mr. Moneybags saw 'Kura running and he followed. He called Ryou, but there was no answer, so, knowing we were friends with Bakura, he called us. He thought something was wrong with him. But if it's not you, then who..........." Malik stood on his toes to see over the huddle of people.

".........Ryou?" He whispered, eyes widening and getting teary.

"...........Malik............" Ryou whispered, smiling at his friend. Malik shoved his way through the gang of people, his yami close behind.

"Ryou........" Malik said softly, crouching down.

They heard a sudden sobbing, and turned to see Mokuba huddled against Kaiba, sobbing into his trench coat, and Kaiba with an uncharacteristically soft look on his face. He had never had a problem with Ryou. Or Bakura.

"I'm sorry." He said, meeting Bakura's eyes.

"............'Kura?....." Ryou said, looking at his yami. Bakura snapped his eyes back over to Ryou.

"Yes?" He whispered.

"I love you." He reached up weakly and pulled Bakura into a hug, and for once the spirit didn't protest like he usually did.

Ryou stroked his yami's hair, whispering into his ear.

"I'm so sorry."

"I know." Bakura whispered back. Ryou released him.

"I'm tired................I think I'll......go.....to.......sleep now." Ryou said, leaning back and closing his eyes.

Bakura sniffed, and nodded.

"I think we should leave him for now........" Yami suggested.

"We can come back tomorrow.........see how he's doing...." Joey added.

Bakura shook his head.

"I'm staying here."

"I am too." Malik said. "I'm not leaving 'Kura here alone." He said.

Yami nodded. "See you guys tomorrow." He didn't mention what might happen between now and tomorrow, but he didn't have too.

Bakura nodded distractedly, still holding his light's hand.

He laid his head down and fell asleep as well. Malik and Marik settled into the other chairs in the room.

The coffee lay forgotten on the counter.

(Later.)

Beep............beep........................beep..........................

Bakura dreamed, his and Ryou's mind intertwined. They said many things in the dreams that didn't involve words.

Beep...................................beep......................

Memories flashed.

Bakura first waking up to find Ryou as his host.

The bad memories vanished.

Better ones were shown.

Beep..............................................beep..............

The amusement park...........

Christmas at Kaiba's mansion.........

The school play.........

Beep.........................................

/Kura?/ Ryou's mind asked weakly.

(Yes?) Bakura answered.

They stood in the corridor between their soul rooms.

/You'll be back in the darkness again......because of me./ Ryou said, head lowered.

(It can't be helped........it's not your fault.) Bakura answered.

Beep................beep...........................

/I'm still sorry./ Ryou whispered back.

(I know........and I forgive you.)

/We will meet again........./ Ryou said, hope barely alive in his voice.

(I love you, my light. My brother.) Bakura said softly, pulling the slumped Ryou into his arms.

Beep.........................................

(Ryou?)

(Ryou!)

(RYOU!)

Bakura snapped awake, clutching at Ryou.

The heart monitor was still, giving out a constant beep, the little line flat.

Doctors rushed in, pushing Malik and Marik out of the way.

"Ryou! Ryou!" Bakura sobbed, clutching at his light, as the doctors allowed him a moment before carefully pulling him away.

"I'm sorry about your brother." One doctor said.

Malik and Marik came over and draped their arms over Bakura.

Bakura sobbed slightly, before turning to the doctors.

"Wait......." He croaked.

They stopped and he walked up, picking up the Ring from around Ryou's neck.

They had agreed about this.........Bakura would give the Ring to Yami.....who would probably give it to Shadi.

Bakura said one last good bye to Ryou, physically and mentally, thought the empty air and cold mind link.

He turned and walked away with Malik and Marik.

He wouldn't have long before his soul was returned to the Ring.

They walked away, walking slowly until they reached the Kame Shop.

"Bakura?" Yami asked, surprised and his worst fears come true.

Everyone who had been in the hospital room was there, including Seto Kaiba and his brother.

"Ryou..........." Bakura whispered, leaning heavily on Marik.

"Oh, Bakura.........." Yami said softly. Everyone stared in shock and grief.

"Spirit..........." came a voice behind them.

They turned.

Shadi stood there, using those strange powers of his to appear wherever he wished and his impeccable timing.

"Your time is almost up, Spirit." Shadi said, his own eyes betraying his sympathy for the tomb robber.

Indeed, Malik and Marik were finding it hard to feel Bakura now.

He was getting fuzzy around the edges.

He turned one last time towards the group of his enemies.

They looked at him with sympathy and...........friendship.

Malik and Marik cried, a surprising sight for Marik, and hugged Bakura while they could. He slowly melted out of their arms, standing in the see through spirit form, watching the people who were loosing two friends this day.

Ryou and Yami Bakura.

With one last anguished look at the group, a whispered word to his two best friends, a last salute to his main enemy, the ex-pharaoh, who returned the motion with respect, he was pulled into the Ring.

Into darkness.

- - - - - - - - -

Darkness...............

Everywhere.........

Again.

He was sealed into this cursed gold again.......but this time it was worse.

The first time it had happened, he didn't have anyone who would miss him and no one he would miss.

Now..........now he was leaving his best friends. Two people who he had gotten close too.

He had lost Ryou.

He had lost Yami.......who he now acknowledged as a ally, instead of a enemy. Maybe even........friends? Maybe.

He had lost the people who had started to care for him. Who had shown him the ways of the modern world, even if he did view them as weaklings at first.

Darkness...............

Swirling around..........

Not as cold as when he first had been sealed in.........

Bakura lay on the floor.

If floor it could be called........there was no ground. No walls. No ceiling.

Only shadows.

He watched the shadows swirl around him, staring blankly ahead with red eyes and tears running down.

Heart racking sobs shook him.

He cried.............why didn't he feel better?

Ryou was a spirit........he was with his long dead mother........

Bakura should be happy for him.

But he wasn't.

Why?

He was selfish.

He was using his own feelings ahead of Ryou's.

He wanted Ryou. He wanted to be free. But more than that, he had been here for 5000 years, and then was let loose in a world that was new and wonderful, making friends and bonding with his hikari.........his brother............

Now he wasn't sure he could stay sane here........his first stay had driven him to near breaking point with its constant shadows and monotone..........but now, after losing all, he couldn't bear it.

Why couldn't he die?

Bakura lay there for an unknown amount of time.

Time........what did it matter? Bakura was here until someone activated the Ring.......until the Ring chose someone.....but that was probably not going to happen.

Ryou was the Ring's destined owner, he had bonded with the Ring more fully than anyone.......other than Bakura. But he had been in it for thousands of years........and Ryou had had it for only a few. And Shadi probably wouldn't allow anyone else to bear the Ring.

Time..........no use. Bakura couldn't tell the time, and he probably wouldn't want too. Why would he wish to know how long he had been imprisoned again?

But still...........it would have been nice to know.

Bakura lay still, the tears had stopped, leaving only a large ache behind in his soul.

He lowered his head onto his arms, eyes closed tightly.

A few minutes (was it minutes? Or was it hours? Or years?) Bakura stood and walked around.

It was the same.

Shadows here. Shadows there.

_Heh........that was like that children's game.......the Old McDonald had a Farm........_

Great........he was already losing his mind.

He walked, never moving, looked, never seeing, and this went on.

He sat down, somehow leaning against something even thought there was no wall.

He looked at the shadows..........was that a light?

Yes.......it was a light.........

But how? There was no light in the Ring..........

Standing up, Bakura began to walk.

Was this some sick trick, to make him forever walk towards the light but never reach it?

But no.........he was getting closer.

There. He saw it.

And he stared.

A wall........a stone wall.........was standing there. No supports, just a wall.

Wait, there were two walls........they connected to make a corner.

In the corner was the source of light.

It was a glass case..........like those that the museum had.

Bakura walked up to it.

This was new.

He stared into the case.

And gasped.

A mimicry of the Millennium Ring was there, sitting on dark red velvet.

On one side of the Ring was a Duel Monster Card.

Change of Heart.

Ryou's favorite card.

On the other side of the Ring was that little game piece Ryou had been sealed in when Bakura had tried to defeat Yugi......the little white mage thing.

As Bakura stared, he became aware of something on the walls.

He stepped closer, and his eyes widened again.

There were pictures.

Pictures of Ryou.

Ryou with his friends........

Ryou doing things........

Ryou with Bakura.

There was the school carnival, where Bakura had agreed to do the haunted house, (with some help from his cards.)

The party at Kaiba's............

The amusement park............

The sleep overs.........

The birthday parties.........

There was one where Ryou had gotten Bakura his first chocolate ice cream cone.

Another where Ryou had done one of the school plays.........

There, a full picture of everyone on the anniversary of Battle City.

Yami and Kaiba stood front and center, Mokuba by Kaiba and Yugi in front of Yami and Tea beside Yami. Joey stood by Tea and Serenity next to him. Duke and Tristan were posing for the camera, watching Serenity, who was laughing at them.

Mai was holding back an angry Joey, who was trying to go for his flirting friends. On the other side, beside Kaiba, stood Ryou, who was holding onto.........yes, there was Bakura. He was looking sulky at the fact that he had to have a picture.

Beside Bakura stood Malik, grinning widely, and Marik, who was pouting. Beside them stood Rishid and Isis.

Good memories.

Bakura needed good memories.

It was warmer over here by the shrine of Ryou.........and seemed more welcome, more comforting.

Bakura lay down beside the warmth of the glass case and buried his head into his arms.

"Oh, 'Kura."

Bakura lifted his head.

Great, now he lost what few wits he had. He was hearing voices. He put his head back down.

"It's me, 'Kura." A hand stroked his hair, and Bakura snapped up.

The feeling was all too real.

Kneeling beside him was a see through form of Ryou.

"R.........Ryou?" Bakura gasped. Ryou smiled at him.

"In part."

"What are you doing here? You're dead!" Bakura's voice hitched. Ryou continued petting Bakura's hair, the movement so calming.

"Yes, I am. But the bond you and I had........no, not had. The bond you and I have is so strong that a small portion of my spirit was left behind. Here. With you. I can't leave you here, alone." Ryou said to his shaking yami.

"Like I did with the pharaoh's Puzzle?" Bakura whispred.

Ryou smiled. "Exactly like that. A bit of my spirit is here, with you."

Bakura's look of relief and such utter joy lit up the shadows a bit farther than the shrine did.

"Ryou........." he whispered.

Ryou hugged his yami, whispering in his ear.

"You'll never be alone in the dark again."

(End chapter.)

This idea came to me at 3:00 in the morning, when I couldn't sleep, and I had to stop because of school. It's finished now, and hope you enjoyed it.

Tell me what you think! I've never done one this depressing............

Sirithiliel


End file.
